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Why a TEFL is Important for Teaching English Overseas

September 12, 2011 | By Matthew Alberto

Teach English Overseas With a TEFL

Travel and earn money by teaching English.

In the past, those who wanted to teach English overseas could often find jobs easily without formal TEFL qualifications, but that is changing fast in many countries. In the current environment students are becoming much more demanding in terms of what they expect to achieve and are more frequently demanding qualified TEFL-qualified teachers.

Formal TEFL qualifications are typically aimed at postgraduate students, although there are many courses that will admit non-graduates if they can demonstrate an ability and level of maturity that would enable them to succeed in the field. However, more countries then ever are insisting on a first degree before they will issue work permits to EFL/ESL teachers, and some consider this as important as having formal TEFL qualifications. Entry qualifications for TEFL prep courses can vary in length from a few days to several months and vary significantly in content and cost.

Opportunities To Teach English Abroad

Once you obtain TEFL certification, there are many opportunities available to teach English overseas including with i-to-i Travel. TEFL internships are one way for new teachers wit no previous experience to build up their resumes. These programs allow participants to receive a comprehensive TEFL certificate, in-country support, monthly spending money and even free accommodation. While these internship programs offer many benefits, they usually cost upwards of $1,500 to join.

For those who are already TEFL certified, there are many free online job placement services that can help them to apply for jobs abroad. Teachers can earn up to $2,300 per month, and some of the leading language schools will even reimburse flights and offer bonuses. There are thousands of jobs open to TEFL-certified teachers each month which can be found through various online resources. For example, there are online communities with thousands of members where teachers can sign up to network with other teachers and read stories from those who are currently teaching abroad.